An aggressive response from city hall tonight over claims that Rochester cops ignored an alleged case of gay-bashing. One city councilman is speaking out. An internal investigation within the Rochester police department is now moving forward. It's an investigation that Councilman Bill Pritchard says he will follow every step of the way.

Rochester police have started to interview the victims of an alleged gay bashing. They already told their story to us including some who did not want their faces shown. The alleged victims say city police did nothing after they were brutally beaten by a group that used anti-gay slurs.

"When something like this does happen it causes everybody and certainly it caused me to pause and certainly register a certain amount of shock,” said Councilman Bill Pritchard.

Pritchard is following the case closely. According to the alleged victims, they were on Goodman Street early Friday morning when the attack took place. They called police, but they say instead of arresting their attackers, cops took three of them into custody. One says an officer slashed his toe with a knife, another says an officer referred to her as a 'drunken dyke.'

"I will not rest until I know with certainty all appropriate action has been taken,” said Pritchard.

Pritchard says the department's internal investigation needs to play out and all the facts must come to light before that action is taken. For the alleged victims, the investigation is a start.

"It is one step forward I hope there is a lot more steps forward I hope that everything can be resolved and justice can be put back in place,” said Megan, an alleged victim.

"What's left to be seen is the leaders of the city and really showing through their actions their commitment to remedying the situation and insuring this doesn't happen again,” said Josh, an alleged victim.

"Your city government is on top of this, the mayor's office, the police department, the chief of police, myself, the city council, the council president. Your city government is being very responsive and taking immediate action to investigate what happened,” said Pritchard.

More of the alleged victims are scheduled to meet with internal affairs investigators Thursday. As a matter of policy police won't comment on an internal investigation while it is underway.